Marketing Beyond the Bubble: Making Sustainability the Default Choice

Sustainability has moved from niche to necessity. But behaviour has not shifted at the same pace as awareness.

At this year’s GREENTECH FESTIVAL, our Marketing Lead, Annabelle Leith, joined industry voices to unpack a critical question:

What actually drives people to choose sustainable products?

The conversation made one thing clear. Facts alone are not enough. If we want circular models to become the default, marketing has a responsibility to bridge the gap between knowledge and action.

Emotional connection drives behaviour

People rarely make decisions based on data alone.

Emotional and psychological levers matter. Storytelling makes circularity tangible. When we narrate the “life of a chair” from production to reuse, circular systems become human, not abstract.

Community also plays a role. When people feel part of a shared movement, behaviour shifts more naturally. Through initiatives like our Circular Breakfast series, we have seen how bringing professionals together accelerates understanding and commitment.

Circularity must feel real. Not theoretical.

Translating complexity into clarity

As Johan Rockström highlighted in his keynote, the scientific community has not fully succeeded in communicating the urgency of the 1.5°C tipping point in a way that resonates widely.

This is where marketing steps in.

Our role is not to simplify the science. It is to translate it. To turn overwhelming data into relevant, business-focused insight. To show how circular systems reduce waste, optimise assets, and create long-term value.

Sustainability cannot remain inside an “eco-conscious bubble”. It must speak to operational leaders, finance teams, landlords, and founders.

Clarity creates momentum.

Growth and sustainability are not opposites

One persistent myth is that sustainability limits growth.

Circular business models prove the opposite.

At NORNORM, we see every day how a subscription approach to office furniture enables companies to scale, adapt layouts, reduce upfront capital expenditure, and lower environmental impact, all at once.

Flexibility is not a compromise. It is a growth strategy.

When circularity is built into the business model itself, impact and profitability can move in the same direction.

The power of trusted voices and partnerships

Another key takeaway from the panel was the importance of partnerships.

Expanding beyond familiar audiences requires new collaborators and diverse voices. Trusted experts, industry peers, and community leaders help translate sustainability into different contexts and cultures.

When messages are shared by credible partners, they travel further and land more authentically.

Circular systems are collaborative by design. Communication should be too.

AI, visibility, and responsible scale

AI was, unsurprisingly, part of the conversation.

From the shift from traditional SEO towards generative engine optimisation, to scaling insights from events into ongoing content, AI is reshaping how information spreads.

Used thoughtfully, it can increase accessibility and efficiency. But it must be approached responsibly, with awareness of both social and environmental impact.

Technology should support circular thinking, not contradict it.

Shifting mindsets, not just campaigns

Sustainability should be accessible to everyone.

That does not happen through a single campaign or a well-placed advert. It happens through consistency. Through education. Through showing up with clarity and credibility over time.

Marketing has a role beyond promotion. It can challenge linear thinking. It can reframe ownership. It can make circular systems feel like the logical next step, not the alternative.

At NORNORM, we are working to make circularity the default choice in workspace furnishing. That means combining Nordic design, flexible subscription models, and clear communication that focuses on business value.

Because the real shift is not about persuading people to “do good”.

It is about building systems where doing the right thing simply makes sense.